Chandler Watts
3/2014
Civ Lit: Dr. Brown
Realism Essay

The use of realism in a novel has been common place throughout literary history. Realism in literary works creates a basic axiom of the realistic view of morality. It has been said that there can be no moralizing in a novel, however, throughout our own in depth personification and deciphering of some of the great literary works, we find that realism and morality coincide remarkably well with each other. Throughout the Aeneid and perhaps the Idylls of a King, I find that the plot line of the story is almost vague and not as developed as the characters. It seems as if the authors poured reality, moralism, conflict, and temperament into each individual character to create a sense of commonality with the reader. Instead of which country to overtake, though that is a complex issue in and of itself, the classics are more concerned with inner, complex ethical choices. They are to decide the motive of each action and inexplicably, their relation to nature, other people, social class, and their own cryptic past. In a realistic novel, authors, in my opinion, have often avoided sensational, dramatic imagery to personify a realistic means. In a dramatic play, the plot is substantially uplifted and adored more so than the characters, but to have realism in a novel, the characters in no minor detail, can be ignored to any degree. For instance, in the Aeneid, Aeneas was the controlling character. His story is one of tragedy and destiny, yet, the author spent most of the book foretelling the actions and emotions of not only Aeneas, but also the characters that he interacted with. These characters were not simply minions of the book, but realistic beings with emotions, ethical dilemmas, and certain base lusts. One could feel the turmoil clouding Aeneas’ judgment when he had to choose to leave his love or when he